There has been a lot of talk about the top three Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookies from this year's draft class, which is a very good thing for an organization that desperately needed a big injection of talent this spring. Rueben Bain Jr. was the first round prize who will understandably carry the biggest weight of expectation, and third round wide receiver Ted Hurst legitiamtely looks like the next super sleeper at the position in the NFL.
So you would be forgiven for neglecting the man sandwiched in the middle - and set to be the new quarterback in the middle of the defense - in Josiah Trotter. Already the heir to the legendary Lavonte David, Trotter was a big time second round pick for the Bucs, and while some Bucs fans will feel they missed out on Jacob Rodriguez, that feeling pretty much dissipated with the selection of Trotter, who is, of course, the son of Philadelphia Eagles legend Jeremiah Trotter.
But far from just talking about his draft stock or pedigree, Trotter has been the focus of attention on what he can or cannot do at the next level. Coming into the draft, the scouting report on Trotter is that he is one of the best and nastiest two down thumpers at the inside linebacker position but might struggle with coverage. However, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles and even team legends are all saying that they think Trotter has the athletic tools to be a more than capable coverage linebacker.
Josiah Trotter is high on Todd Bowles's list
And now, Bowles is singing Trotter's praises in an entirely new way. He thinks Trotter is such a special athlete with the traits and length to even play as an outside linebacker. No, no the Bucs head coach is not just talking about as a 4-3 outside linebacker in four man fronts but as an edge rushing outside linebacker across from Rueben Bain Jr. in his standard three man front set up in Tampa.
Todd Bowles said of Josiah Trotter on Sports Day Tampa Bay, via Joe Bucs Fan, Trotter’s like 6-2 and he’s long, and he runs a lot better than people think he does when you see him in person. And he can moonlight outside as well as inside. And he’s a heck of a blitzer. You really feel his presence when the pads come on, so I’m excited to see it."
That is high praise and a real tease of how creative Bowles could get with this Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. From Bain Jr. dropping into coverage on zone blitzes to Trotter coming off the edge as a surprise pass rusher, Bowles could have a lot of toys at his disposal in 2026.
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